Father and stepmother of 10-year-old Sara Sharif found guilty of her murder at Surrey home
Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother have been found guilty of murdering the 10-year-old before fleeing to Pakistan.
Sara was hooded, tied up, beaten with a cricket bat, burnt with an iron and even bitten in a “brutal” campaign of abuse in the weeks before her death on 8 August last year, the Old Bailey heard.
Her body was found two days later in a bunk bed at her home in Woking, Surrey, after Urfan Sharif, 42, called police from Pakistan, where he had fled with the rest of his family.
Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Faisal Malik. Pic: Surrey Police
The minicab driver sobbed during the call as he admitted “I’ve killed my daughter” and said “I beat her up too much” because “she was naughty”, adding: “I legally punished her, and she died.”
Police found a handwritten three-page note tucked under Sara’s pillow in which Sharif had written “Love You Sara” and “I killed my daughter by beating”.
Sharif left a note under Sara’s pillow before fleeing the country. Pics: Surrey Police
“I am running away because I am scared but I promise that I will hand over myself and take punishment,” it said. “I swear to God that my intention was not to kill her but I lost it.”
Sharif, his wife Beinash Batool, 30, and his brother, McDonald’s worker Faisal Malik, 29, along with five children, were captured on CCTV at Heathrow Airport, where they boarded a flight to Islamabad the day after Sara’s death.
Sharif and Batool
While in hiding, Sara’s father and stepmother gave a video statement to Sky News in which she described her stepdaughter Sara’s death as an “incident” and said they were “willing to cooperate with the UK authorities and fight our case in court”.
Read more:
The missed opportunities to protect Sara
Sara Sharif’s body was found in bed at her home. Pic: Surrey Police
Sharif, Batool and Malik were arrested as they returned to Gatwick Airport on 13 September, and all of them pleaded not guilty to her murder and an alternative count of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Sharif and Batool have now been found guilty of Sara’s murder. Batool could be heard sobbing in the dock after the verdicts.
Malik was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.
The judge, Mr Justice Cavanagh, said he will sentence them on Tuesday next week, telling jurors the case had been “extremely stressful and traumatic”.
The family fled to Pakistan. Pic: Surrey Police/PA
The couple were arrested on a flight to Gatwick. Pic: Surrey Police
History of domestic abuse
Sharif had been arrested over allegations made by three different Polish women, including Sara’s mother, Olga Sharif, between 2007 and 2010, including domestic violence and making threats to kill, but he was never charged.
Sara was born in 2013, but her parents split in an acrimonious break-up soon afterwards, with accusations of abuse made against each other in a custody battle.
In 2019, the family court eventually awarded custody to Sharif, who had by then divorced Sara’s mother and married Batool.
Neighbours of their small flat described hearing “shockingly loud” sounds of smacking followed by “gut-wrenching screams”.
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What happened to Sara Sharif?
Last year, they moved to a three-bedroom house in Hammond Road, Woking, with Malik and a total of six young children where a new neighbour Judith Lozeron said the family were strangely quiet.
She told Sky News she got the feeling Sara was treated as “a bit of a servant” because she would see her doing chores, such as pegging out the washing and looking after other children.
“That isn’t really what a 10-year-old should be doing,” she said.
“I never saw her smile. I never saw her running, laughing or anything in the garden with the others.”
Prosecutors said Sara started wearing a hijab to hide her injuries, and the court heard she was taken out of school in April 2023 after teachers spotted bruises on her face and referred her to social services – but the case was closed after six days.
Sara, aged four. Pic: Surrey Police
‘Such a special little soul’
A school friend said she saw locks on the bedroom doors when she went round to Sara’s to play.
“She was very happy and outgoing, and she always used to tell me, when she grows up, she likes to go to Los Angeles and be a model,” she told Sky News.
She said Sara told her she had fallen off her bike when she turned up at school with cuts and bruises on her face, adding: “She could have had them on her legs or arms but I couldn’t see them because she had long-sleeved tops on under her T-shirts and leggings under her skirts.”
Sara ‘loved singing and dancing’. Pic: Surrey Police
Sara’s headteacher Jacquie Chambers said she was a “very caring, very confident little girl” who had the “cutest, biggest smile” and “absolutely loved singing and dancing”.
She said Sara would often talk of her dream of winning The X Factor and the school has now introduced a singing award in her memory.
“She was such a cheerful soul and I think that’s what’s really heartbreaking. She was such a special little soul,” she said.
“I don’t think I have ever felt so much sadness and I say that on behalf of all of the staff and the community. I think the shock was just immense.”
More than 70 injuries
Sara was found to have suffered more than 70 injuries, including “probable human bite marks”, 25 fractures, and bleeding on her brain, and her cause of death was given as “complications arising from multiple injuries and neglect”.
Prosecutors said all of the adults in the house were responsible for Sara’s death because one or two of them couldn’t have carried out the campaign of abuse without the complicity or assistance of others and none of them did anything to help.
Sharif initially claimed all the abuse happened while he was at work, blaming it on his “evil and psycho” wife.
But her barrister Caroline Carberry KC suggested she was “vulnerable” and a victim of “honour-based abuse”, forcing a surprise confession from Sharif in the witness box as he admitted killing his daughter by beating.
The family home in Woking, Surrey. Pic: Surrey Police
Sara wore hijab ‘to hide injuries’. Pic: Surrey Police
‘I take full responsibility’
Sharif told the jury he beat Sara with a cricket bat as she was bound with packing tape, throttled her with his bare hands, hit her over the head with a mobile phone, and even whacked her with a metal pole as she lay dying.
“I can take full responsibility. I accept every single thing,” he said before asking for the murder charge to be put to him again.
But after a break, Sharif insisted he was not guilty of the charge, saying: “I didn’t want to hurt her.”
He also denied inflicting the bites and burns, while Batool and Malik both chose not to give evidence.
Surrey Police said an inquest and a safeguarding review would now examine whether Sara was failed by the police, social services, the courts or the education system in the years and months leading up to her death.
Speaking outside the Old Bailey after the verdicts, Detective Chief Inspector Craig Emmerson said the case had “shocked and horrified” people around the world.
He said Sara’s young life was brought to an end by “brutal abuse” and “unspeakable violence” committed by Sharif and Batool, which Malik “did nothing to prevent”.
“The murder of a child is absolutely shocking, but the horrific nature of the abuse Sara suffered during her short life has made this case particularly disturbing,” he said.
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) specialist prosecutor Libby Clark said: “Sara was a happy, outgoing and lively child described as always laughing, who was cruelly abused and murdered by those closest to her.
“None of us can imagine how appalling and brutal Sara’s treatment was in the last few weeks of her short life. The injuries inflicted on her were absolutely horrendous.”
The dates for Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK have been announced, with the US president due to be welcomed by the King from 17 to 19 September.
Buckingham Palace also confirmed that President Trump and first lady Melania will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.
It was expected that the three-day state visit would take place in September after Mr Trump let slip earlier in April that he believed that was when his second “fest” was being planned for.
Windsor was also anticipated to be the location after the US president told reporters in the Oval Office that the letter from the King said Windsor would be the setting. Refurbishment works at Buckingham Palace also meant that Windsor was used last week for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit.
This will be Mr Trump’s second state visit to the UK, an unprecedented gesture towards an American leader, having previously been invited to Buckingham Palace in 2019.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump posing with Charles and Camilla in 2019. Pic: Reuters
He has also been to Windsor Castle before, in 2018, but despite the considerable military pageantry of the day, and some confusion around inspecting the guard, it was simply for tea with Queen Elizabeth II.
Further details of what will happen during the three-day visit in September will be announced in due course.
On Friday, Sky News revealed it is now unlikely that the US president will address parliament, usually an honour given to visiting heads of state as part of their visit. Some MPs had raised significant concerns about him being given the privilege.
But the House of Commons will not be sitting at the time of Mr Trump’s visit as it will rise for party conference season on the 16 September, meaning the president will not be able to speak in parliament as President Macron did during his state visit this week. However, the House of Lords will be sitting.
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Labour MP: ‘Trump isn’t welcome here’
In February this year, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presented the US president with the letter from the King inviting him to visit during a meeting at the White House.
After reading it, Mr Trump said it was a “great, great honour”, adding “and that says at Windsor – that’s really something”.
In February, Sir Keir Starmer revealed a letter from the King inviting Donald Trump to the UK. Pic: Reuters
In the letter, the King suggested they might meet at Balmoral or Dumfries House in Scotland first before the much grander state visit. However, it is understood that, although all options were explored, complexities in both the King and Mr Trump’s diaries meant it wasn’t possible.
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Is the UK ready for a ‘Trump-fest’?
Elton and Jagger at royal banquet
King and Trump won’t hold private meeting
This week, it emerged that Police Scotland are planning for a summer visit from the US president, which is likely to see him visit one or both of his golf clubs in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire, and require substantial policing resources and probably units to be called in from elsewhere in the UK.
Precedent for second-term US presidents, who have already made a state visit, is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Barack Obama.
A small plane has crashed at Southend Airport in Essex.
Essex Police said it was at the scene of a “serious incident”.
Images posted online showed huge flames and a large cloud of black smoke, with one witness saying they saw a “fireball”.
A police statement said: “We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane.
“We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours.
“We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues.”
A huge fireball near the airport. Pic: Ben G
It has been reported that the plane involved in the incident is a Beech B200 Super King Air.
According to flight-tracking service Flightradar, it took off at 3.48pm and was bound for Lelystad, a city in the Netherlands.
One man, who was at Southend Airport with his family around the time of the incident, said the aircraft “crashed headfirst into the ground”.
John Johnson said: “About three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed.
“There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it. All the kids saw it and the families saw it.”
Mr Johnson added that he phoned 999 to report the crash.
Southend Airport said the incident involved “a general aviation aircraft”.
Four flights scheduled to take off from Southend this afternoon were cancelled, according to its website.
Flightradar data shows two planes that had been due to land at Southend were diverted to nearby airports London Gatwick and London Stansted.
Plumes of black smoke. Pic: UKNIP
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said four crews, along with off-road vehicles, have attended the scene.
Four ambulances and four hazardous area response team vehicles are also at the airport, as well as an air ambulance, the East of England Ambulance Service said.
Its statement described the incident as “still developing”.
Fire engines at the airport
David Burton-Sampson, the MP for Southend West and Leigh, posted on social media: “I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work.
“My thoughts are with everyone involved.”
Local councillor Matt Dent said on X: “At present all I know is that a small plane has crashed at the airport. My thoughts are with all those involved, and with the emergency services currently responding to the incident.”
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UK
Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget
Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.
Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.
Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.
Politics Hub: Catch up on the latest
Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.
Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.
“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”
Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.
“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”
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Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”
He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.
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Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France
Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.
Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.
Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.
With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.
The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.
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